In the United Nations' looming confrontation with Syria, it's hard to define the best strategy, but easy to identify the worst one - the imposition of general economic sanctions that would hurt the Syrian people while allowing the ruling clique to grow even richer. That's my strongest impression from a visit to Damascus.

For background on the Lebanese elections, see Sateh Noureddine and Laurie King-Irani, “Elections Pose Lebanon’s Old Questions Anew,” Middle East Report Online, May 31, 2005.

The fall 2005 issue of Middle East Report focuses entirely on developments in Syria and Lebanon since the Syrian withdrawal. To order the issue or to subscribe to Middle East Report, visit MERIP’s home page.

The UN-authorized investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq al-Hariri, now well into a second phase of heightened brinkmanship between Damascus and Washington, also has Lebanon holding its collective breath.

As expected, the first report of German investigator Detlev Mehlis, released on October 21, 2005, did not produce a “smoking gun” proving the involvement of Syrian officials or Lebanese proxies in the February 14 killing of Hariri and 22 others with a one-ton truck bomb in downtown Beirut. Rather, Mehlis wrote that “on the basis of the material and documentary evidence collected, and the leads pursued until now, there is converging evidence pointing at both Lebanese and Syrian involvement in this terrorist act” and that “it would be difficult to envisage a scenario whereby such a complex assassination plot could have been carried out without their knowledge.” The public version of the report lays out a circumstantial case for these allegations, and cites the claim of a witness who worked for Syrian intelligence that “senior Lebanese and Syrian officials decided to assassinate” Hariri in September 2004. A leaked, unedited version of the report names two of these officials as Mahir al-Asad, head of Syria’s Republican Guard and brother of President Bashar al-Asad, and Asef Shawkat, head of Syrian military intelligence and the president’s brother-in-law.

Mehlis has demanded that Shawkat and other current and former high-ranking Syrian officers be made available for questioning before his second report is due on December 15. Facing international pressure to comply, in the form of UN Security Council Resolution 1636, Damascus has pledged to cooperate, while lambasting the first report for relying on hearsay and protesting the requested cession of Syrian sovereignty to a UN-appointed official. In a speech on November 10, Asad predicted: “We will cooperate, but in the end they will say that we did not cooperate.”

Whatever the resolution of Syria’s standoff with Mehlis, politics in Lebanon are paralyzed due to the lack of a resolution of the Hariri killing. From Lebanese politicians, Mehlis’ findings have elicited loud approval and calls to continue the investigation to the end, as well as outraged complaints that the entire process is politicized, a vendetta against Syria by France and the US. Some politicians have advocated both views simultaneously. There is a domestic angle as well: the report does not directly implicate President Emile Lahoud, but four of his security chiefs (and key allies) were arrested in late August under suspicion of having planned the killing. Lahoud, the extension of whose term at Syria’s behest in September 2004 was the backdrop to the political crisis culminating in the Hariri killing, has refused to resign. Due to shifting alliances entangled in the web of apprehension about the Mehlis investigation, his opponents have not yet compelled him to.

ELECTION RESHUFFLE

The assassination and subsequent Syrian military withdrawal from Lebanon happened to precede Lebanese parliamentary elections that had already been scheduled for May and June. The elections were held under roughly the same election law as 2000, when Hariri and his allies scored important victories but failed to win control of Parliament because of a cohort of Syrian-backed deputies. In the 2005 round, the “March 14 opposition,” so named for the date of a million-person demonstration demanding “the truth” about Hariri’s death and an end to Syrian influence in Lebanon, won a slight majority of seats. This alliance was led by Saad al-Hariri, son of the slain premier and heir to his heavily Sunni Future Movement, and Druze leader Walid Jumblatt, along with Christian MPs from the Qornet Shehwan Gathering, the Lebanese Forces, several mainly Christian groups and the Democratic Left Movement. However, victorious Christian MPs from this camp had what, in the sectarian logic of Lebanon’s confessional system, is seen as a political liability. All of Lebanon’s electoral districts are multi-member; an MP who wins election does so thanks to the votes of the entire district, not just her own sect. The sectarian logic also means that when an MP wins a race without securing at least a plurality of votes from his own sect, he is subject to charges that he lacks legitimacy as a spokesperson for the sect. In opposition, many hailed the March 14 coalition as multi-confessional. In electoral victory, the coalition was widely seen as dominated by Sunni and Druze politicians who had to court the Shiite parties to get business done. Anything dramatic like the fate of the president would require full consensus, namely support from the leading Christian politician whose credentials were not “tainted” by having won his seat on the strength of non-Christian votes.

That person was former general Michel Aoun, who returned to Lebanon in May from 14 years of exile in Paris. .... Continued

Assad might survive such trials if he deems the "resistance" route necessary. However, Syria would also be irremediably damaged. It is ironic that the Syrians, who legitimately fear seeing their country transformed into another Iraq, may be led by leaders who somehow regard pre-2003 Iraq as a model for emulation

38 Comments:

Just wanted to point out to everyone that criticize the "arranged" demonstrations in Syria that they should read TRISH SCHUH's must-read article about the "Cedar revolution" too:http://www.counterpunch.org/schuh11182005.htmlHere are few paragraphs:Near the Mohammad Al Amin Mosque of former Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri in Beirut, I interviewed a founder of the Martyrs' Square tent city and asked about US-Israeli sponsorship of the 'Independence Intifadah'. Surrounded by red and white Lebanese flags, soldier Michael Sweiden of the Lebanese Forces emphasized he was Christian Lebanese."We love Israel", he told me. "Israel helps us. Israel is like our mother."Years before its role in the so-called "Cedar Revolution" (a moniker coined by US Undersecretary of State Paula Dobriansky, a signatory to the Project for a New American Century), Israel awarded citizenship and grants of up to $10,000 to South Lebanon Army soldiers who collaborated with the Israeli Defense Forces during Lebanon's civil war. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed, "Senior officials at Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's office were in touch with Lebanese leaders even before the current crisis." Backed by American and Israeli neocons, a Christian Lebanese Likud is proxying Israel's second invasion...When the stage show opened for real after Rafiq Hariri's death, America's Wag the Flag performance was camera-ready. Janes.com exposed that the flashy demonstrations and rallies were being engineered by one of Lebanon's top advertising agencies and the London-based Saatchi & Saatchi. Michael Nakfour of the corporate events management company, Independence 05 - Civil Society, helped manage the Freedom Square tent city by distributing food, flags, supplies and theatrical effects, prompting American Enterprise Institute scholar Hedieh Mirahmadi to marvel; "Who would imagine one could find posters, in downtown Beirut, with the picture of President Bush in between American and Lebanese flags?" (NY Sun, 3/18/05)Reporter Mary Wakefield, of The Spectator was also surprised. "Only 1,000 or so people? ..it felt less like a national protest than a pop concert. Bouncers in black bomber jackets wore laminated Independence '05 cards round their necks, screens to the left and right of the platform reflected the crowd... To the left of the main speaker, a man in a black flying suit with blonde highlights, mirrored Oakley sunglasses and an earpiece seemed to be conducting the crowd. Sometimes he'd wave his arms to increase the shouting, sometimes, with a gesture he'd silence them... 'Out Syria! Out Syria! Out Syria!' Production assistants with clipboards busied themselves around trucks full of monitors and amplifiers.... The truth is that the Cedar Revolution has been presented and planned in just the same way as Ukraine's Orange revolution and, before it, the Rose revolution in Georgia. But just because it is in American interests doesn't mean it's an American production." ("A Revolution Made for TV" 3/12/05)

Eventually in every politically motivated demonstration in the world there are always spontaneous demonstrators as well as arranged participations. The bottom line is: People who criticized Josh's post about rising nationalism in Syria.. The Syrian demonstrations are as every other demonstration in the world, partly spontaneous and partly arranged.By the way, like it or not, there are lots of people that support Asad right now where Syria is under pressure (I would argue that they are a majority right now, comparable to the post-9/11 land-slide support for Bush among Americans), so get over it!

Economic sanctions only, weather smart and narrow, or dumb and wide reaching, will not work as an effective enforcement measure by itself, and it will not advance Syria or it’s ruler one inch into the program. Rather it will send it backward in leaps. With it, the whole Middle East will be sent backward, including Israel.

Economic sanctions needs to be accompanied with organizing opposition and arming them with the necessary fund and technologies to carry out an effective media campaign inside Syria, either based in Lebanon or through Arial means such as developed by Orontes Corporation (www.orontes.net). This campaign must be purely run and operated by Syrians only.

Additionally, the assured use of force must be present. That can not be just a U.S. action, it must be Syrian / US action. The face of this action must be at all time Syrian oppositions, not American.

The intent of all this should not be to occupy, chop-up or destroy Syria as the Petro-Zionist plan intend on doing. No Zionist brained, retarded and evil, Faith inspired Shock and Awe campaign to destroy Syria’s Industrial / Commercial Infrastructure and prepare Syria for perpetual Civil War ( for the benefit of Israel of course),. The surgical military operation, if necessary, is primarily to protect unarmed Syrians and their rights. For as long as the regime respect those rights, force should not be used. And if they did not, then surgical force should be used against the aggressor and or his governmental enterprise on a case by case basis. There will be no wide scale use of force and no Government official, Baathist, armed forces or regime base supporter, armed or unarmed, or Mukhabrat, specifically targeted, as long as the entity is not conducting offensive campaigns against Syrians, committing rights abuses, or is a party to such abuse or harmful tactics, but rather using the media in the same way to affect the street and the choices the Syrian people needs to make for Syria’s future. Orontes Corporation (www.orontes.net) has developed several defense system that are apt to be successfully and effectively used in such Civil Strife Seek & Combat deployment.

The intent of the Media campaign that is backed by in-kind response and a retaliatory use of force is not, and should not be directed at either removing Bashar or his regime from power, but rather to force him and his regime to make a behavior modification toward how they are running Syria and treating the Syrian people. Forcing him to stop the theft of State properties and resources, removing the Baath yoke from Syrian necks and allowing the kind of representation for various parties that can operate under real reformed laws, that will have an affect on the running of Syria.

Under such a plan, a wide economic sanctions can work concurrent with measures described above, because they will not be indefinite as the case in Iraq. The Baathist Mafia regime will thrive under sanctions only regiment, weather limited and smart or wide reaching, sanction busters are eager to move in on and cease on the opportunities that will be available. Almost positive, that large number of those sanction busters profiteers will be Americans operating through Iraqi boarder ( not Syrian-American).

Does this sound too much like “Barbie in Fairytopia”? Only for three reasons. First, Petro-Zionists planners will never agree to it, allow it, or even promote it. Should it pass through this first e-insurnamable ( how do you spell the damm word) hurdle, it will face the second less difficult obstacle, but not by much. Would international bankers willing to take a chance on the reverse cash flow, even to reverse transfer the $45 billion in cash Assad’s Mafia hoarded abroad, to the lesser benefits of those countries financial systems and economies. Finally can you convince a trenched and absolute Mafia boss, that is backed overtly or covertly by the most corrupt people on earth in power and or out of it, without much blood in the street, to give up his street corner or the whole block, give up absolute monopoly on the market and every cash transaction on that block? This cannot be assured (Saddam is an example) but it has a much better chance to succeed if the Mafia Boss knows that he better cooperate and live reasonably with dignity than if he did not, not only he will be on the run all his life, if he survived, but he will not find a cent to spend, because all his, his family, his Mafia gangster and their family hoarded cash and assets will be taken by the bigger and more powerful organized crime family.

President Buch needs to stop this monkey business and help the people of Syria. The country has the most politicized population in the entire world, They are fearful of the Mukhabrat. Syrians are very disappointed and now are totally distrustful with the Bush Administration, even more so, than from any previous U.S. Administration in the past 40 years.

Syria, like that of Lebanon is very ripe for the kind of transformation to a new updated country more than any country in the world, even more than Lebanon. In fact, the failure of accomplishing this will lead to mess that will spiral out of control. Syria is the missing link in bringing to fruition the goals set by President Bush Greater Middle East Initiative.

In the end, lacking any other measure, sanctions only can go on and on and Bashar will simply outlast the fourth president that will be elected after George Bush leaves office.

The older Bush made a serious and fatal mistake in the past when he left dictator Saddam in power. It is even a greater mistake if the younger Bush leaves the Baath party in sole control of Syria.

If President Bush listen and adopt the incompetent Petro-Zionist dreamers plan, if he to read the junk in-junk out dossiers his CIA and other intelligence agencies shove on his desk and do nothing as they recommend, ( No available alternative), ( No viable option) and rubbish such as this Baathist developed and inspired motto’s, he will loose the entire Middle East and it's oil. If he and America took a back seat and helped all the Syrian oppositions to do the talking and the campaigning, he will win big and leave office with remarkable achievements and good accomplishments that for 2000 years no one, not a person, and not an empire was able to do.

Syrian Republican PartyThe future of SyriaThe future of the Middle East

looking for statistical information about Syria’s television broadcast. Very specifically in need of statistical breakdown of the number of T.V sets in use in each city. Sets in rural area (villages), especially in the coastal region. Semi-statistic of dish use and breakdown of dish user profile. Any other information is welcomed. Contact Broadcasting Director: db@ssprs.com

Be part of history, be part of New Syria and new Middle East. You can make a difference. Make your voice count.

"If President Bush listen and adopt the incompetent Petro-Zionist dreamers plan, ......he will loose the entire Middle East and it's oil. If he and America took a back seat and ... he will win big and leave office with remarkable achievements"

This is a confession from you MR SRP that US is only interested in OIL, and the only problem is how to achieve this objective.

In other word, the equation is Democrary = Oil

if you truly beleive in democracy then You should not be trading with your nation's wealth. Syria and the M.E is not a private property for Mr Bush and the Americans!

When it comes to the Neocon propaganda factory, old Marxist/Trotskyite habits die hard…

In many ways, this Abu Musa Al-I don’tknowwhatawi is the Emmanuel Goldstein of our age (Jeff no pun intended!): just like the famous character from Orwell’s novel, the Jordanian-born “Super-Terrorist” started an organization known as "The Brotherhood", dedicated to the fall of the sole superpower…

In “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, comrade Goldstein is the main character of the "Two Minutes Hate," a daily information video clip shown on “The Telescreen”- the ancestor of Fox News and the TeX-Aviv Broadcasting Company…

Sounds familiar??...

---------------------------------

Post-PS: Zarqawi's fate, updated, redux:

We’re now told that “in Beijing, China, a stop on President Bush’s trip to Asia, National Security Council spokesman Frederick Jones discounted the prospect of al-Zarqawi’s death. The report is highly unlikely and not credible” [sic] he said

Guess Abu Musab Al- Idon’tknowwhatawi will “live to fight another battle” as they say in Koranic/Neocon circles…

Too bad his “ancestral tribe” back in Jordanistan disowned him three times…kind of just like Saint Peter and the man they call Christ…the Madison Avenue-trained gurus at the PR and Public Disinformation section of our embassy in Amman are simply too brilliant!

Abu Musab père surely couldn't stand the thought of his son going postal on full jacket jihad in Ayyraq…but rest assured the Mohammedan Emmanuel Goldstein of our age will (once again!) lick his wounds and bounce back blah blah blah Zzzzzzzzzzz…..

Stay tuned my dear fellow citizen/dupes for the born-again Abu Musab will be reappearing soon in a Fox News premiere and/or a White House press conference theater near you!

This dude De La Vega can make mucho Dinero working for one the top U.S. Defense contractors. He is the one that can bill the Government for: "Ergonomic Motion Impacted Ultra Titanix Composite Head High Pressure Low impact Fastening devise $9500.00" It is a just a F...ing nail that cost less than Quarter of a cent at most.

To Mr. Rag Head,Yes unfortunately, there are some that go to war, blow themselves and others because Allah through his Imams and Mullahs told them to, through a Fatwa.

As to the remark made, winning big, meaning building an advanced and peaceful Middle East that is free and prosperous. One leave remarks on history by that, not control of oil resources.

As to the Cliché that the U.S. needs the oil of the Middle East. They really don't. If they pressed hard enough, American will make Synthetic oil from untold commodities and make it cheaper, better quality, and using easier ways than the hassle of getting it pumped, piped and cargoed across the planet to be refined and shipped again.

American are culturally, not technologically restricted by the life style, too busy and complacent and leave people and things alone, free. they just don't do anything and act until they are pushed around.

What is your point anyway, that SRP is tratitors and giving Syria's oil to American in exchange for Democracy. Are you that stupid really!

Even if we did, what the hell do you care anyway, are you getting any allotment of Syria's oil? Is Bashar sending you 10% like he pays Maher or $ 4 million each month for Riffat, who is crying that he should get double that monthly.

What the hell it matter to you, at least you don't get 10% allotment but you have your freedom. Now you got neither. Shove this silly argument up your ARAB ass will ya.

Like if this dude Abu Arab is getting his percent from the Sauds, Assads, etc. maybe he is one of those that were getting vouchers from Saddam and he is upset about loosing it.

If you are a true freedom beleiver, and expect peopel to respect your party's ideas, you should first carry a free mind and learn how to accept others' view, even if they are against or different from yours. I think this is the basic rule of the democracy, which you are trying to acheive.

I think Dr Landis is right when he said that your immature Mr SRP. Opposition's representative like you, knows only how to read and write about democracy but not to practice it.

One can argue that the subject has already been covered and discussed in detail, but I continue to believe that the topic pertaining to the possible rise of political Islam should the Baath party and the regime fall from power has triggered the most passionate and interesting dialogue thus far. More postings from you on this broad and important subject matter would be most USEFUL

No, you understand Democracy wrong, ofcourse, you are a fucking Arab. Under Democracy, it is your right to say what you want freely. It is our right to say what we wants freely. Democracy does not mean that we have to accept what you say. Democracy does not meanthat you accuse others and offer nothing for your argument exceptinsult. I am not surprised thatyou share Landis opinion, you both are fucking AIRAB loosers. Why don't you get the hell out of here, because instead of appolgy,like a typical fucking Airab, you send more insults.

That Abu Khara read more than a 100 lines in SRP commnet above and out of all the interesting points in it, he searches hard and pick that one point, that he quote out of contest and accuse SRP that they are trading Democracy for oil. How he extracted that is beyound me. I can see why SRP has little tolerance for poster like him.

Abu Arab, if out of this entire SRP comment you extrapolate that one small line and throw this made up accusation on SRP. I say you are more of a Fascist and Baathist than a Democrat. That is probably why SRP treated you like a Fascist.

Ehsani, you are right that the subject of political Islam should be discussed.

I beleive that it is the key to whole mid-east situation.

Many poeple think the middle east is lagging behind the rest of the world due to Israel, Wester intervention, ignorance of the poeple, even Islam.

I beleive that the reason is FEAR of Islam. Fear of political Islam is what motivates many reasnable poeple to support the totalitarian regimes.

Their motto is "khara bta3rfo ahsan men khara btetarraf 3ale".

If it was not for fear of Islam, intellectuals, bourgois families, industrialists, left wingers, free marketers, artists and many others would have ganged up to get rid of these regimes as they did all over the world. However, these poeple are all worried that a democratically elected Shariaa enforcing governement will be worse than Assad and the rest.

Their reaction is actively supporting the regime, or tolerating it through inaction and silence.

Until we as a nation come to a concensus on the role of Islam in the state we will be manipulated by our fears and mistrust of each other.

The subject of Metaz discussion in that post, so as many previous one, is President Bush vision for a better Middle East and the Greater Middle East Intiative.He hammer this messege repeatedly in the hope that someone will understand the importance of bringing Democracy and freeying Syria from Baathist chokehold.

The question is how do you have a democratic reform with an association like the MB which does not recogniZe the syrian minorities as Syrian with equal rights ,they think that you have to be Sunny muslem to care about Syria thay actualy prefer moslems non Arabs or Syrians to Syrian non sunny ,that is the problem with moslem religous parties,if they have a vision for Syria which in enclusive and protective of the minoritie,s rights in Syria let them present it,i am willing to listen.

I hope yoy all are right but what happend in Iraq with religous and ethnic violence and what happend in Lebanon and Bosnia make me worry that the religous fever will stimulate violence ,still a platform on where they want to take Syria and the Syrian people on the economy ,deffence schools minority rights relation between religion and goverment ,relation toward the middle east crises and where they stand in regard to the Golan Hights,all these are important befor you give an approval just because of their religous affiliation .

Hope someone at the White House is reading this SHARMOOT, coward SADDAM'S like comment above.

Will see after the first G-DAM drop how many of your buddies will be around. Bashar will be the first to flee with his (stylish) wife to his London mansion, while human scum BANADIK like you will be evaporating.

OOOH, the stunch smell of your flesh will bring the flies from Ethipoia to feast on your burned corpse.

SRP was right, they made the right identification of the type of Baathist thug you are and replied to you approprietly.

You must be a low life moron, because you do not know that half the Iraninan Leadership are spies for Israeli Mossad. Lahood and Amal head are also on Mossad's payroll. Did you know what Amal head, can't recall this thug name was working for Mossad in teh United States, he was sent there to spy on Hizbullah and form a cover called Amal to help Israeli military in Lebanon.

Berry is something, he manged to be on the handout list of not one, but three intelligemce agencies. He started out full scale for Mossad working in the United States, then Mossads could not afford him, they introduced him to the CIA and then managed to get on the side of Assad and was collecting cash and reporting to all three. Talk about an espionage and raketeering idustries he built.

Ramzi, the short-lived Nahda began in Egypt after the French enlightened the country through military invasion. It did not begin in Syria. The Nahda ended in the late 1940's when the western enlightening colonization ended. Once 'fred' from the oppressive dictature of civilization, the Arabs countries returned to their original barbaric nature.

Most if not all rapid changes in civilizations occur through contact with other civilizations.

It is well accepted that "La Renaissance" happened as a result of the fall of Constatinople and the flight of eastern scholars to the west.

So there is no shame in having the Arab Renaissance ignited by contact with the West. Saying that a poeple Arab or other is inhertlty barbaric is simply racist and I think in the 21st century we do not need to defend against racist views.

So Mr Vox, please update yourself on anthropology and history.

BTW Other topics that might be of interest to you:

The earth is somewhat roundMen are able to fly using machines called planesWe can get a fire in seconds these days using something called matches

"The Nahda ended in the late 1940's when the western enlightening colonization ended." wait a sec, the enlightening colonization? I agree that they brought some good to the countries they ILLEGALLY invaded, but they brought load more bad. And for fuck's sakes the most of the middle east had been under brutal oppressive rule of the Ottomans for 400 years. Where mass education was practically illegal.

And then you uttered this gem "the Arabs countries returned to their original barbaric nature." Your racism is incredible. And with that you win the right to stand on the wall with the other fundamentalists of this comment section. Congrats!!!

"The United States had no evidence that Syria was involved in the infiltration of insurgents in Iraq," said A top U.S. Air Force general, Lt. Gen. Walter E. Buchanan III, Commander of the 9th U.S. Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces. "Our only concern with Syria is the number of terrorists infiltrating through porous borders with Iraq," he said.

Wait a minute, why highlight the word "no"? To emphasis your feelings that Syria is innocent?

Maybe the General doesn't have access to the evidence (if it exists)

Last I checked Syria is a Police State. So maybe it is an inefficient Police State, or just good at hiding its tracks. (Unless you believe the propagandists who say no terrorists are coming in from Syria)

Anyone else get the feeling that SRP, LebaneseGeeks, and Alawites for Syria are one and the same person? supporting and congratulating himself with his Multiple Personality Disorder? pointing out the same issues in people's arguments and attacking the same victim simultaneously?

Dr. Landis, you really need to log the IP addresses of your users and unmask all those idiots playing their lame games here.

De La Vega

I agree that Zarqawi/Bin Laden are the Goldsteins of our age. It would be against the interests of all those involved in spreading 'democracy' if those two died, God forbid.

In fact, this is exactly the philosophy of the Straussians (aka Neo-cons): the creation of an imaginary enemy that will unite the populace behind its government.

In the end, it turns out that the Islamists and the Neocons are identical twins separated at birth. I don't know how many of you here have watched the excellent BBC documentary 'The Power of Nightmares', quite a remarkable work that traces the origins of both movements and how they are deeply related. The one thing that surprised me the most was that Ayman al Zawahri was an ardent student of Sayyed Kutb, who pretty much started this whole madness.

Mahdi Dakhlallah said:Kuala Lumpur 22 November: Minister of Information Dr Mahdi Dakhlallah said the main reason behind the pressures on Syria is its principled stance over the issues of the Arab region and its long-lasting call for the establishment of a just peace and ending the occupation in Palestine, the Syrian Golan and Lebanese Shab'a Farms.--------------------A statement like this which he himself don't believe it is damaging the baath regime not helping it. This man need to be booted. Baath party failed with misery

So a US general says there is no evidence of figher infiltration thru Syria, you conclude that he doesn't have access to the evidence that you assume exists but no one is showing for some reason. Or, better yet, Syria is an inefficient police state, and therefore, somehow, it is good at hiding its tracks and, therefore, using your supreme logic, those who say there is no infiltration are propagandists.

Last I checked, those liars who claim figher infiltration in large numbers, or sponsorship by the Syrian government for such activities, have show ZERO evidence for their idiotic claims so far.

Sorry, BobW, but supporting Bush and his evil wars these days just makes you look like a total moron (with 35% of Americans being in the moron category). I guess you support war against Syria then?

First of all Kamal Salibi is not a great historian. And Egypt was the place were reforms began.

La renaissance (the Baath :) began after America was discovered. But the roots of the renaissance are in the High Middle Age. After 1300, European (especially sout European) began to set up a pan European banking system (Italians), explore the roads to (Portuguese), establish universities etc... etc...